The Green Celebi Ring
by Xantos Stones
Summary: Ho-Oh (decides to destroy humanity once and for all for their sins against pokemon. Yet, he gives humanity one last chance in a girl named Nora, a girl he sent from the past. She must find the chosen one and help bring an end to humanity's terror upon the Pokemon world. If they fail, Ho-oh vows to destroy humanity once and for all.
1. Prologue

This story began as an RP that me and my friend were doing together, but quickly developed into far more than that (again). This story was written by me and Xanta-Mun. I hope you enjoy it.

**The Green Celebi Ring**

**Prologue**

The ashes blew past the five beings as they glanced around in silence. Three legendary dogs; Suicune, Raikou, and Entei. A girl, aged 18, too young to be standing at such a precipice. Ho-Oh, most powerful being alive – to the extent that some believed him to be a god. Said-being had set himself up as the mediator between mankind and Pokémon, but his experiment had not turned out the way that he had desired.

"Nora," Ho-Oh spoke, his words penetrating every part of her being. "I am afraid that I must end this experiment. Evil humans will always exist, and as a result evil Pokémon as well. As long as said groups exist, neither kind will ever find piece. Alas, many may consider me a fool for my next action. I know what logic dictates. The scourge and corruption that mankind brings upon Pokémon must be destroyed. By all rights, humanity should no longer exist."

"No…" The girl named Nora spoke to the bird. Her green eyes sparkled with a fiery force. She stood as proudly as she could to Ho-Oh. Her kimono, once fair pink with the image of her Clan on her back, and the Miltank that was weaved in, now seemed so faint on her. Burn marks were all over from the great fire.

"I will agree, Ho-Oh that humans and Pokemon have grown into Beings of Greed, Corruption, and Darkness. But Good People and Pokemon exist. Are you really going to punish them for the actions of others? Because if that is true... then why did you let me live rather than die in those flames after I saved you? If I was just as bad as them…why am I still here rather than walking into the arms of Death to go see my Father in paradise?" Nora spoke up to the Bird. The three Dog Pokemon came over to her. Nora could feel their love and support towards their friend…their human partner…the partner of their hearts.

"Do you know why I was at your Tower that day? I came to ask for luck as I was granted permission to take a Journey with my Pokemon. My mom…the last family member of the Miltank Clan, gave me her blessing that morning. I could care less of the ridicule I got when I ascended those steps to the base of the Tower. I wanted to start my journey on what I thought was the right foot. Does that sound like a Human or even Pokemon that has let Darkness or Greed into their heart? Am I alone then to think that everyone, Pokemon or otherwise, are equal?" Nora went on.

"I implore you to think about your actions as they effect all Humans, those who are evil…and those who are good. Will you really punish them for the actions of others?" Nora finished up as some tears formed in her eyes. Tears for the humans and Pokemon that did not deserve what the Legendary Bird Pokemon suggested.

"To be truly honest with you, Nora of the Miltank Clan, it was not for your actions nor the fact that you saved my life that I have called you here today. Humans, I have found, can do heroic things on one day and monstrous things another. No, the reason I have called you is because of your three friends here. As I set up long ago, the three pokemon who surround you will be drawn by your courage, inner strength, and beliefs. The fact that you attracted three pokemon like these… shows that you are, in many ways, a one of a kind human.

"When I spoke that many would think me a fool for my decision, it was not because I set in my mind the desire to kill humanity. I have instead, decided to go against logic and give your kind one last chance." He then nodded his head, and three strange red and white balls rolled out of the darkness. "Celebi has brought these for you if you are ready and willing to accept the task that I am going to lay before you. You will need them, she tells me, if you are going to succeed.

"The people of this era are corrupted, and there is no hope for them. I will brook no argument about that fact. I have studied and watched them for hundreds of years. As such, there is only one option. I will place a sleep spell upon you that will cause you to sleep for many years, hundreds at the least and quite possibly thousands. I shall withdraw, along with Suicune, Entei, and Raikou. When you awaken, this time period will be merely a fairy tale; perhaps even a forgotten one.

"You will awaken when a person of true heart and stature has been found, the chosen one who will mend the bonds that have always been severed and that even I have failed to repair. You must find this person, and make his destiny clear. Know this, though. If the two of you fail, humanity's late chance will be gone. I will destroy your race completely. My prayer, however, is that I do not have to."

Nora looked from the Bird Pokemon to her friends. The three dogs were clearly sad to be away from her. They never got to have their journey. To travel the world side by side, to help those that they could. Clearly their journey has ended before it could even begin.

"I will. I will gladly sleep until the eons pass to help this future hero. All I ask is one thing, Great Ho-Oh. When the hero saves the day and proves that humans are not what you believe….I wish to have what the Great Fire took from me and my Pokemon friends. I wish to have the chance to have my journey. I want to see the world with my best friends here. A journey not to find a Hero… but a chance to just be ourselves. Please give me something to dream about as you send me to the land of dreams." Nora asked.

Gently, she reached over and picked up the strange balls. They were cold and hard, a metal from the future it seemed, as this was nothing she had seen before. Nothing she seen in her friend's blacksmith shop.

Ho-Oh was silent for a minute before replying. "You speak with confidence that you will succeed, and you also seem to be misunderstanding something. I am stepping down and disappearing. The order and Clans I have brought together will get their wish, uninterrupted freedom to destroy themselves. There is only one reason the two of us would ever meet again, and that would be if I am forced to destroy humanity. If I do not, and I sincerely hope for that, you will be free to live the rest of your life however you choose. Your friends will as well."

"Now tell me, Nora of the Miltank Clan. Is there anything else that you would like me to disclose before you begin your journey to find this chosen one? I have the ability, with the assistance of Celebi, to look into the future and answer any one question concerning this mission. Consider carefully, and then tell me what it is you wish to know."

Nora rubbed her chin. A torrent of questions seemed to fill her mind as to what to ask. "I have so many... but one must be answered above the rest. When I awaken, how will I know who the Chosen Hero is? Is there like a sign or something to tell me who it is?" Nora asked the golden bird before her.

Ho-Oh closed his eyes for a moment before speaking. "You will know him via a ring, a strange glittering emerald in the shape of a Celebi. Once it has been placed on the finger of the proper person, his eyes will glow purple. This ring, and the person itself, will find their way to you. Now sleep, Nora. Sleep and dream of the day when you and your beloved friends may meet again."


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening

**Chapter One: Awakening**

"Darn it! Those blasted idiots!" A twenty year old boy said as he burst into an old warehouse and closed the doors behind him. This shed was said to have existed long before Pallet Town had been built, sealed shut. Nobody had ever entered it, though rumors of a ghost maiden who lived inside had been circulating for countless generations.

As the men outside yelled about finding him, the boy snuck deeper into the shed. He nearly cried out as his feet fell on something, and he stumbled. Breathing heavily, he turned and opened his Pokedex to send out a small glimmer of light. A girl lay there, adorned in blinding white apparel unlike any seen before. An angelic ghost. A shiver of fear ran down the man's spine. Then her eyes flew open, and the man screamed in silent horror.

Nora kept her eyes on the three dogs as she was sent to the lands of dreams. She knew they would wait forever for her, as she would them. She found as she drifted away how different enchanted sleep was to real sleep.

Time flew beyond her control. Years passed in what felt like seconds, but the dream of being with her friends was all that carried her. Memories of finding them scared and alone in the woods. How as a child she came back for them and healed them. Slowly, she gained their trust and love. She was ten when they followed her home. Nora's mom was happy she found some Pokemon friends. They were treated as family in their diminished Clan. Nora loved helping take care of the family Miltanks. She loved finding out from them that she was blessed to be a Pokemon Whisperer. She could spend hours talking to the Pokemon that gathered around.

But..it was all gone now. Her mom…the Miltanks…The villagers of Ecruteak…. everyone was gone. They died as she slept. Nora prayed in her dreams they had a great life…Nothing disturbed her…until something nagged at her to wake up. Her mind came slowly as she felt the desire to awaken. Her green eye snapped open to the new world. Her ears rang as sounds filled her ears again. She slowly began to move her body to awaken after so long.

The ghost was awakening. He was going to die! He was too young to die. It totally wasn't worth it. Running from cops was one thing, being devoured by a freaky ghost was totally worse. The boy stumbled backwards against the wall, doing his best to remain silent as he stared at the girl. She was getting up… She was moving… He began to sweat, and slid his hand into his bag to touch his treasures.

His other hand went down to his belt, where he lifted one of his pokeballs and pointed it at the intruder. If she came near him, he could at least try and defend himself. Sure he wasn't at all sure what a Pikachu could possibly do against a phantom, but it was better than just sitting there defenseless and dying.

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Outside, the police were beginning to disappear into the distance. There was, of course, the possibility that the boy had gone into the shed. However, if he had there was no way they were going to follow him. That place was a cursed death-trap. Even those who had not a superstitious bone in their body knew… that place was to be left undisturbed.

A young officer, however, stayed behind while the more veteran wandered off. He frowned and sat down in front of the shed, his gun ready. There was no way that he was going in there. But if the boy had, and somehow managed to survive, he was going to arrest him the moment he walked out of the door.

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Nora rubbed her head a bit as she stood. She felt out of balance for being woken up. Questions began to fill her mind as if it was on overdrive mode. She blinked to get her eyes to adjust to the diminished light around her. Nora looked at her outfit, saddened by the look. The hand woven silk Kimono her mother made was faded to pure white. It felt bitter on her rather than its once soft touch. Her wooden shoes were rotten and splintered to dust to leave her barefoot.

She looked around as the sound of shuffled footsteps reached her. Nora turned to see the person in the distance. Her brunette hair, once held in a bun, now flowed to her hips in a wild nature. Nora could almost feel the fear coming off the shadowy figure. Her guess, she looked like a ghost…and she felt like it.

"I come with only peace in my heart…Come where I may see you, stranger. There is no need to fear a member of the Miltank Clan." Nora spoke outwards. Her voice was slightly cracking from the years of un-use. She tried to put on a warm smile, one her mother used to show the other Clans in the area.

"What…year is this?" Nora asked, wondering how long the legendary bird kept her asleep.

The ghost was standing, must have seen him. Oh, he was going to be so screwed for this. You didn't want to awaken demons from their naps. That was the first thought to enter the boy's mind. The second was that this ghost spoke weird. She looked confused, bewildered and sad. And the boy began to feel just a little bit more safe. After all, she wasn't trying to kill him. She looked just like any other dopey girl that he had seen before. Besides…

His eyes widened as he stared down next to where she had laid in absolute bewilderment, and the terror was returning. There was no way this was an ordinary girl, or even an ordinary spirit. After all, no ordinary spirit from the past would have been able to get their hands on pokeballs. He stepped backwards and raised the ball over his head.

"Miltank Clan," he stated at that moment, utterly bewildered. "What the heck kind of name is Miltank, and if that is supposed to be an awesome name…" He stopped short of insulting her. Way to go genius. You just got the demon angry with you. And the last question caused him to gape. This weird demon made no sense. If she could time travel, then surely she must know when she currently was. "Uh… 200ak. Why?"

Nora felt her eyes tighten as she looked towards him. How…dare anyone say the noble name of Miltank be horrible! She took a deep breath to calm her already on edge nerves as she folded her arms in her kimono. She knew it was a sign of shielded anger to fold you arms like so, hands holding the elbows.

"Maybe the noble Pokemon race of Miltanks do not exist anymore..but they are a strong and enduring Normal type Pokemon. They are know to be kind and gentle but can get powerful and strong when brought to anger. Not even a mad Gyarados can match it's anger when brought forth. I consider it a great honor to count them as my Clan Guardian Pokemon. I supposed your a member of the Slowpoke Clan then…Slow and idiotic fool." Nora said as strength returned to her voice, slowly returning to it's normal tone.

"200ak…I fear I don't understand. Tell me then…boy, how long has it been since those fools set fire to the great Tin Tower to destroy Lord Ho-Oh and his great vision?" She asked, keeping ehr arms across her chest.

The man stared blankly back at the girl, trying frantically to separate the logical from the not so logical. Firstly, Clans? What the heck was that supposed to mean? He glanced around to ensure that she truly was the only spirit dwelling in this shed. Secondly, he was pretty sure he had gotten her angry which likely didn't really raise his chances of getting out of the situation still breathing.

Wait… Miltanks were an extinct Pokemon species? So what, this spirit had been simply lying here all this time… sleeping? A match for a Gyarados? He nearly laughed at the thought. No Pokemon with such a… Pathetic… Name could truly have such godlike powers. Gyarados, Alakazam, and Arcanine were as strong as they came.

His mouth nearly dropped open and he couldn't contain a snort. "A Clan guarded by trash like slowpokes, seriously now? Whose stupid idea was it to place junk like slowpokes as guardians?"

Lord Ho-oh? Tin Tower? "Sorry but those words don't mean anything whatsoever to me. This shed you are in was here when people discovered this abandoned island almost 500 years ago though. And it looked ancient THEN."

Nora felt her eyes tighten as she glared at the man. He dare mock the system set down by Ho-Oh himself to keep the fragile peace between Humans and Pokemon?! He dare insult the way the world functions? Well…USED to function. It was dawning on her Ho-Oh's words that her life and time would be like a fairy tale when she awoke. But her anger was not as easy to push away for his insults.

Nora wished she had a blade or something as she moved towards the man. She wanted to shove him against the wall and yell at him. But her legs were moving slowly from their inactivity. Heh, guess he would have to fear a ghost coming after him.

"You.. DARE to insult the system created my Lord Ho-Oh, protector of the bond between humans and Pokemon. The system of noble Guardian Pokemon who call the qualities of humans and other Pokemon to be like them. To bear their race's name and to emulate their qualities? Yes, the Clan of Slowpokes are…sad. But they are still the most loyal and honest Clan out there!" Nora growled at him. Her green eyes glared with an internal fire of pure anger. "You have the same..ignorance as those idiots that tried to kill the powerful bird Pokemon and in turn almost killed me." She added on towards him.

As they stood there, and the spirit began to draw closer to him, the man did something just a little bit unsettling, he started to smile. It was just dawning on him that he was still alive, that he was unharmed, that this spirit seemed more lost and confused then he did. And then there was this, this attempt at walking that looked seriously pitiful. All of this, put together was beginning to draw out a realization. This spirit wasn't powerful, or even really all that knowledgable. It wasn't a threat to somebody like him.

So, his posture regaining, he took a menacing step towards her. "Listen little girl. I don't know who you think you are, but you haven't made a lick of sense since you woke up a couple of minutes ago. You talk about non-existant creatures and times unknown, yet also keep pokeballs with you. If you really are from some other time and are supposed to be the cream of the crop, I pity that world. As for guardian pokemon," he laughed, actually laughed out loud. "Pokemon are tools to be used for the good of mankind, nothing more."

He threw one of his pokeballs, and it landed on the ground. A pikachu popped out, and looked up at the boy before tilting its head in the direction of the spirit. "They don't have a conscience or feelings. Watch. Pikachu, see this weak flimsy girl in front of you. Thunder shock." Without hesitation, the Pikachu's cheeks sparked and shot a bolt of lighting at Nora.

Little girl?! Brainless tools?! How dare he speak this way! Pokemon are friends, NOT tools of destruction! He needed some sense knocked into him, and Nora was just the girl to do it.

The second she saw his Pikachu, she had a feeling it would attack. Apart of her heart went to the rodent for a warrior like this human. Nora forced her legs to jump an flip. She knew she was still weak as the bolt grazed her arms. She hissed and landed, a ball rolling out from her belt. A bright light filled the room as a Pokemon erupted outwards. Nora looked up and gasped at the back of the Pokemon of her Clan…Miltank.

"Mila-MI!" It cried and roared towards Pikachu. Nora knew it was mad that the boy dare to attack her. The Miltank turned and grinned lopsided to Nora. Nora was confused before she gasped. That grin... only one Miltank she knew of had that grin. Only one had the paw print spot on it's back…

"Milly! Is it really you? Did you let Celebii put you in there so you could be with me?" Nora asked, her voice bearing a mystic sound as she spoke to the Pokemon.

"Of course I did! Celebii told me your future, and I came to help. I am more than the Clan's guardian…I am your friend and family. We stick to each other no matter what." Miltank spoke, Nora hearing more then Milly's name over and over again.

"Alright then…. If you think they are tools, you are terribly wrong. Pokemon are our friends, our partners. You sicken me to hear such foul things. See now the strength of our friendship. Miltank, attack Pikachu with Swift!" Nora called out to her friend. As the stars erupted from Milly's mouth, Nora jumped and aimed a punch at the foolish boy.

The boy slipped to the side, as he held up his pokeball and said, "Return, Pikachu." As Pikachu disappeared, and the stars therefore missed, he glanced over at the girl with a look of pity and disgust in his eyes. "My point here was not to fight you. It was to illustrate the fact that there is no conscience whatsoever within pokemon. They just do whatever they are told unquestioningly. Now, however, I am beginning to realize that I can prove no such thing to you. The reason, you are certifiably insane."

What had convinced him was simple. First the way that she responded when the pokemon came out of the ball was absolutely laughable. Was she really such an idiot that, however she had managed to get the balls from wherever she was, she hadn't bothered to figure out what in the world they were? More than that though, she had spoken… actually SPOKEN to the pokemon. What kind of idiot did that? It was like speaking to a dog or a cat. Those two things just proved she was weird though.

What truly set him off was that when the Miltank… that strange cow-thing… had said its unintelligent, "Miltank." The girl had continued speaking to it like it was actually responding in JAPANESE! There was nothing weirder than watching an unintelligent animal and a human having a serious discussion. Nobody called their pet to come have a serious discussion with them.

Then he spoke again, "All I see are a loon who rants about a really whacked out past that I am seriously beginning to doubt ever existed and the unintelligent pokemon that she likes to pretend has the ability to think. You living in a fantasy world, Sleeping Beauty."

Nora felt a feral growl escape her lips. She may not fully understand this loon or Sleeping Beauty person…but it sounded like he was still yapping about Pokemon being tools. Her rage was nothing like the Miltank. It snorted and howled loudly at him. It ran after him and jumped. Milly curl up into a ball and came barrowing down at him.

Nora lightly smiled. Not anyone could dodge her Rollout attack, let alone when she was PISSED as heck at her target. Even Nora could not come close to getting away. The Miltank moved with great speed as it rolled towards him like a wrecking ball.

The boy looked at the Miltank and simply sighed. Then he pulled out one of his pokeballs and called, "Go Geodude." The Miltank's rollout smashed into the poor Geodude shield as the trainer took one step and dodged out of the way of the two. Then he called out, "Return Geodude," and sent it back inside of its pokeball again.

He glanced towards the door to the shed and said, "Alright little girl. Play times over." Then he reached into his pocket and produced a semi-automatic pistol. "You may not know what this is so let me enlighten you. It's more accurate, and far more deadly, than an arrow. As you can see, I'm fast. If you or your pokemon does anything I don't want you to, this precious miltank of yours is going to die. Now take off that belt of pokeballs and toss it over to me."

Miltank bounced off and recovered as best as it could by Nora. It swayed on its feet as Nora looked towards him. That Geodude did not deserve to be summoned like that then used as a shield. It had no idea of the incoming attack! How dare this boy cause such a break in the honor of Geodude!

Nora felt her eyes grow big as she took in the object he held. Miltank shook its head to recover all the way and stood by Nora. Her training to be a Pokewarrior had her train with a bow and arrow. They were so quiet and quick to take a foe down… how could something be more accurate then that? Especially being so small and having no draw string?

Nora knew she could not dare give up the little balls she had. The way Lord Ho-Oh spoke about them, she was to hold on tightly to them. Besides, this belt was keeping her weak Kimono closed. She couldn't dare give it up.

A bright light came from her waist as two other Pokemon formed. Next to Nora, a lean and tough looking Raichu formed. It had a scar over it's eye. Behind her a Arcanine with long fur and a Pink scarf with a paw print on it formed. The two stood by Nora and growled with Miltank at the stranger.

"No one hurts my Clanmates!" the Arcanine called out with a growl. It stepped a paw over Nora to hide her a bit. Miltank hid behind it as well. Raichu was already charging up an attack.

"Archie? Rai-Rai? You guys slept as well?" Nora said to them in her mystic tone. they nodded, keeping an eye on the stranger.

"I fear we are in a standoff. I need these balls as they are a gift to me from Celebii. I must find the hero and bring peace to the hearts of humans and Pokemon, or else Ho-Oh will kill the entire human race! I will not follow you if you leave in peace, stranger. Just know that some day I will find you and teach you to respect Pokemon. They are more than tools. They are friends, family, Clanmates, and partners. May every step you take from here on out be filled with pain, I now curse thee!" Nora told him, glaring at him.


	3. Chapter 2: HOSTAGE!

**Chapter Two: HOSTAGE!**

When you are threatening somebody, and there appears to be a stalemate, the most unsettling, disturbing, and troubling thing the other person can do is start to laugh. That was the boy's reaction, as a smile crossed his face. He was enjoying this! "A firebrand girl, how cute," he said. "And her little pets. A cute little mousy, a puppy, and a fat cow. And you seriously think I'M the one in trouble. You are just so adorable. As such, I'll cut you a little bit of slack. Just hand over the belt, and nobody will get hurt."

Then he leaned back against the wall, his gun still pointed at the Miltank and apparently completely at ease. "There is no stalemate here, and let me tell you why. You are assuming those two Pokemon can take me down, as if you haven't noticed my reflexes are extraordinary. And… This deathbow had four shots. I could kill all four of you with a snap of my wrist. Now let's pretend I'm not fast enough and things go your way. I am killed by those two Pokemon, but you lose your closest dearest friend. I don't believe you are willing to risk the life of your partner, while I am willing to risk mine. As such, you are still the one in a tight spot."

Then he paused for a second. This girl was weird so he decided to add the last bit of the situation to her, as that might change things. "Listen, I have no interest in taking your buddies from you. I am, however, in a tight spot and need a hostage. So… I take your weapons. You are defenseless, and thus my hostage. You get me out of here, and then I set you and your little friends free to play in the world."

"So you do as I say and you and your friends all get to live and go on whatever crazy adventure you want when I am safe and home free, or you resist and lose at least one of your companions. Think carefully before you make your decision, because I'm in a hurry and have no qualms about harming animals in order to protect myself. What's your decision?"

Hostage negotiations?! Nora gritted her teeth as she thought it over. She could feel her friend's worry, yet courage flow into her. But it was her choice. She can't lose them. She can't lose what little friends she has now.

"Very well…but I propose a different approach to your method. You see, if I remove my belt, I will have nothing to keep my Kimono closed with. I can ask my Pokemon friends to return to the magic balls and stay there. They are loyal that way to me. I have no other weapons on me. I will be this hostage for you and swear to Ho-Oh that I will do as you say. That way I can hold onto my Pokemon once you leave I don't have to fear public display of my battle scars, and you get to leave in one piece. How about that?" Nora said, trying to stay calm.

Her Pokemon turned to argue against it, refusing to let her be alone, but she hissed like an Ekans at them. They recoiled and nodded their heads. In a flash of light, they all returned to their balls on her.

"That is not acceptable for two main reasons. I cannot be ensured your cooperation unless I am in possession of your precious friends, AND I do not trust you. Letting you keep the balls is not negotiable. I MUST have them. As for your belt… Keep it if you truly do have to use it for clothes. Just toss me the balls."

Then he said, "Look, regardless of what you may think of me, I'm NOT what one would consider evil. I will not harm somebody if it serves me no purpose. If honor and all that truly matters to you, then I swear on the items I hold within my bag… I will not allow any harm to come to you or your friends as long as you are my hostages, and I WILL give them back to you as soon as all of this is over." He reached out his hand and said, "Hand me the balls and then we can get this over with." He smiled at her, and as much as she may have hated it… His eyes spoke with sincerity. It made one thing seriously clear. When he made a promise, he meant every word.

Nora narrowed her eyes as she thought it over. This boy was a thief… A dirty, rotten thief if he bore items in his bag worthy of swearing on. Her curiosity peaked towards what it could be inside his bag.

"Very well... but first show me these items you swear upon. For all I know it could be a vile of poison you are swearing to. If they are noble enough, them I surrender my balls as you call them. But so help your soul if you do not give them back once you are free or whatever the outcome." Nora sternly told him, placing the balls in her hands as proof she was willing to work with him on this.

The boy looked down at his bag for a moment, clearly not willing to reveal what was inside. Instead, he looked up at her and said, "You are missing the point, Cowgirl. It isn't that the items within the bag are special."

"The only reason I am in this current predicament is because of the items in this bag. As such, nothing matters to me more than them. I am swearing on the thing that matters to me more than anything else that I will keep my word." Then, before she could pull her hand away, he snatched the balls foe her hands and added them to whatever else was in the bag.

"Now let's get out of here. The sooner I can get away from you and your loony Pokemon ideals, the better."

Nora gritted her teeth towards him. She was placing everything on his word. Even in the magic ball thingies, she could feel the concern of her Pokefriends. Nora never did like feeling weak and helpless. She kept a weapon on her at all times back home. Everyone did, truly. Men with swords or bows were a common sight to her. But this new super bow was different and she felt so helpless near it.

"Fine…then tell me where to go. I am clearly new to this place you know. How are hostages handled in this day and age anyways?" She asked, keeping a look of annoyance on her face at him.

"How? Certainly not like this," the boy muttered under his breath as he looked at the girl. They didn't typically involve a psychotic girl. "We aren't doing this the typical way. For now… I will lay day only one rule. No matter what happens, you are not allowed to speak." He attached the pokeballs to his own belt and put the gun back into his pocket again. "Well… Come on." Then he turned and strode towards the door, mentioning for Nora to follow. As he did this, however, the door was kicked open and a police officer burst in, his gun drawn.

Nora kept her eyes on his belt, wishing she had her Clan mates back. It pissed her off that after being reunited with pokemon from her past… friendly faces in this future world… they were away from her. Her arms shook as she began to follow him.

She jumped a foot back when the other man came. She lightly yelped and did what felt natural, hid behind the idiot that had her friends. She had to take some calming breaths to calm her nerves that were on edge. She kept true to her word to the man and did not say anything, but she was wondering what was happening around here?

The young officer looked the two over in bewilderment. He'd stayed outside as long as he could with all the strange sounds coming from inside… But eventually his duty as a police officer had overcome his fears, and he'd kicked the door in… Only to find the man no longer alone with what he might have mistaken for a ghost had she not scrambled behind the thief for protection. "An accomplice. I'm surprised at you, Blue. I was always taught that you NEVER worked with anybody."

Blue frowned and looked this new recruit up and down, his eyes on the gun pointed directly at his face. He mouthed over to Nora, "Play along if you ever want to have your friends back."

Nora felt her eyes tighten at hearing the boy named Blue hiss at her. Like she had a choice now in this strange world BUT to listen to him?! Her friends, all she had left were on his belt. She wanted them back if anything…. So if she had to pretend to be a crook, then Ho-Oh forgive her someday.

"Fine…but a day will come when I have my revenge on you Blue." She hissed back, saying his name in disgust. She stayed where she was and closed her mouth. Let this idiot of the Slowpoke Clan explain himself to the new stranger. Maybe she would get lucky and could reveal herself as a damsel in distress. It was all she could think of as an exit strategy in case he failed.

Blue then proceeded to respond as a master actor. He reached behind him, and led Nora out to stand beside him as they faced down the police officer. "It's going to be alright, honey," he spoke in a soothing tone. "Trust me, everything is going to be alright." As he moved her around, he hit one of his balls, accidentally knocking it off his belt. It rolled into the shadows. Then he raised his hands, slowly, one of them never letting go off hers.

The police officer looked at them in bewilderment. Judging by the reactions, this girl was not just his accomplice but actually… his girlfriend or something similar. The way they were holding hands, even while being arrested… that was weird. He opened his mouth to tell them to raise their hands, before it occurred to him that they already had. Instantly, his eyes darted about the room. There was no reason a criminal like Blue should have surrendered so easily.

Nora did a double look at the boy named Blue. She was his WHAT!? If it was not for the fact he was holding onto her Pokemon…. she would slap him in full force. How dare he insinuate the taking of the hand of a maiden WITHOUT talking to a Clan chief! This was outrageous!

Carefully she gritted her teeth and raised her other hand to match his. This must be a sign of giving up in this day and age. To her, you bowed to a foe that has beaten you to say you have given up. "It better be, dear…. I know where you sleep if it does not." Nora managed to say, faking a tone of love to the traitorous boy next to her. She had to remember how those other girls followed the men around the village when they wanted their love. She let her eyes go soft and stared with a small forced smile at him.

Blue nodded and took a step towards the police officer, who was looking around more and more frantically now. Suddenly, an explosion of electricity shot out of the darkness and threw the boy back against a metal table, where there was a crack as his back hit and he crumpled to the ground. As he did so, his head hit the floor with a hard smack, and he was left unconscious. Blue's pikachu emerged from the darkness carrying its pokeball, before sending itself back in again.

Blue instantly released Nora's hand and grimaced as he flexed it for a second, almost as if touching Nora had in some way contaminated him. He strode over to the crumbled body, and rolled it over. Ignoring the small necklace the man wore, he picked up the man's walkie-talkie and frowned. It had been on. The police would be here in an instant; it was time to go. "Move, now!" he said as he slowly pushed Nora towards the door. As they exited the building, he closed the door. Leaving the boy, and the emerald Celebi ring that he wore around his neck, inside.

Nora grumbled to herself as she wiped her hand. This man dared to fake a peace keeper? She looked closer at the fallen man as the one named Blue's Pikachu came out of hiding. He seemed like a nice man now. Shame he had to be treated like this.

She paid no more attention until she could hear the soft ping the necklace gave as it hit the ground. It was louder then it should of been in Nora's ears. She look again as her eyes expanded. The green glinted up at her. The shape of Celebi called her eyes to its sparkling base. She could hear Ho-Oh echoing again in her head about the importance of the ring in finding the hero.

But before she could do anything else…she was ushered out the door. Nora did not know what was going on as the call of the ring was blinding her until the door shut. Her curiosity to the world around her was overrun by the desire to smack the one named Blue.

"You…you…You son of a Shuckle! He had the ring! Give me my friends back and leave me be! I have to return to that man right away! He has the ring!" Nora said in annoyance as her hands shook. If he was not still holding onto the Pokeballs…so help her Arecus she would smack his face to another realm!

Blue glanced back at the now sealed doors for a second before turning to Nora and saying, "Please, no insanity at the moment. I'm trying to think." He held up his hand for silence, and the sounds of dozens of police officers rushing towards them could be heard. Grabbing her arms, he quickly began to run in the opposite direction of the police officers.

Suddenly, he stopped and glanced back at the shed as an idea raced through his head. The fight was going on inside. There was no way for the police officers to know that they had already made it out of the building. The easiest way to get away, then, would be to convince the police officers that they were still inside.

He reached down, pulled out one of Nora's balls, and called forth Arcanine. Blue's eyes looked up and down the ancient building, made from mysterious ancient architecture found nowhere else in the world, a one of a kind building that had stood the test of time, whose creation had likely been overseen by HoOh himself.

Then he set his hand on his gun, eyes locked on the dog and ordered, "Nora, tell your dog to light this building majorly on fire. Now! Do not argue or hesitate, or I will shoot him."

Nora felt a growl escape her lips the same time it did Arcanine. He dare force her to burn down the building that protected her?! Burn down a building when someone was inside it still?! Has he lost it completely?! But what choice did she had…this magic bow was pointed at her friend. She would dare not have him killed the day they woke up.

"Fine…but once free, you give me the others back and may we never cross paths again. May Ho-Oh send you nothing but curses and bad luck for what you seek…" Nora told him.

"Do we have to? I would protect you even in death Nora. I swore it when I came to the Clan to protect my mates. I swore it when I asked Ho-Oh to join you like this. That building was a gift from Lord Ho-Oh to the people.' "Arcanine growled to her, torn like Nora.

"We must…Use your Flamethrower move..but at half power. Let him think you're weak, and give the peace keepers with water typed Pokemon a chance to save it and that man inside. We will have to act like this Blue man and preform a play beyond all measures. We will return for the man with the ring, Lugia permitting he remains in this area, and explain." Nora hissed like an Ekans as she gave the command. Arcanine nodded and inhaled. He flung a weakened flame at the building, setting it on fire. He turn to growl at the boy, a leg between Nora and him.

Blue watched the building light and the nodded his head, pleased. He turned and patted Arcanine's head for a second, pulling his hand away quickly so as to ensure that he didn't get burned. "Absolutely perfect. The police should arrive before anything can happen to the man inside this way. And try and put it out as well." He smiled, an actual one and not one of the smirky evil ones. "Perfect." Then he clicked the button on the pokeball, sending Arcanine back inside.

Grabbing Nora's arm again, he slipped around the next bend in the streets. "I know what you are thinking, and are quite right. I will not apologize for anything I do or that I make you do. I have only one priority right now, getting the eight of us out of here alive. You and me are top priority. They…" He motioned to the five pokeball hanging around his belt "are the other."

Then he continued running, though in his mind he was silently berating himself. I can't believe you said eight, you idiot. Now she's going to be seriously curious who this eighth being was that he had mentioned. He shook his head firmly. She hated him too much to really question it. His priority was getting them out alive, and what she did or did not question was not of any importance.

They rounded another corner as the sounds of police officers rushing toward the flaming building could be heard. Then the boy grinned as he turned another bend and the outskirts of Pallet came into view. He grinned, and smiled… Before the sound of a bullet firing was heard, and then the sound as it sliced along Nora's side.

Nora gritted her teeth as she walked. She refused to answer at him, waiting to give Arcanine a bath to clean his filth off him. How could he do this? How could a human sink this low? True, she was used to the daily filth that plagued her world. The very thing she hoped her journey would help end at last. It appeared it festered and morphed into this… a terrible evolution of cruelty.

She peeked her interest at the mentioning of eight. In her head she ran the math of it. Five balls…two of them…What could that last one be? Was it the thing he stole or did he have a Clanmate in danger somewhere?

But her questions were cut short when they turned the bend. Nora was about to ask about the strange building when the sound filled the air. Her side near him burned… It was as if a thousand burning arrows pierced her within a tiny inch. Her voice soon strained at the howl of pain as her mind tried to understand it. Was this the terrible might of his magic future bow? Was this how her quest to save the human race would end? Only awake a day and already heading back to the doors of death.

"You… How…h-how could you? I did what you asked…I helped you flee…You said it was to free us… Why?" She asked as her hand removed itself from him and touched the gaping hole in her. The warm blood oozing out all over her tattered Kimono, the fabric absorbing the blood like a dry sponge.

"You…You have doomed us all now…Forgive me Lord Ho-Oh, I-I tried to save us all from your wraih. I-I found the ring…I-I failed thy quest to stop you from killing all us humans. Forgive me, my Clan, and forgive me, my beloved team of friends. I'm sorry Entei, Raikou and Suicune…" Nora managed to force from her lips as she fell to the ground, holding the burning hole in her as a pool around her formed.

Blue froze, instantly. No… Not now… Not now of all times… He reached his hand out to the open fields which could now be clearly seen. He could run. He could. He'd get away. He was far enough ahead. His eyes darted between the bag and the fields, the bag and the fields, the bag… and the girl. Then he turned around, and his mouth dropped open.


	4. Chapter 3: The Stolen Tool

**Chapter Three: The Stolen Item**

The police officer from the shed stood there, his Celebi ring glowing… and the boy had no scratches, no marks… He was totally fine. Blue swallowed, and looked at the open fields one last time. He muttered under his breath the words so that nobody else could hear, "I know what my duty is." Then he dropped the bag, and his belt of pokeballs into it, and said, "Curse you… you psychotic witch."

Then he charged. It was incredible. He moved like a Pikachu using agility, as the police officer fired off continuous shots, trying to hit the man charging at him. Then Blue's fist crashed into the man's chin in an uppercut, and the man's head jerked backwards as he was knocked out. Blue snatched up the Celebi Ring and hurled it over to land next to Nora.

"Place that against your side. If I'm right, it should heal you." He glanced around the corner and grimaced. "Then grab the bag and get out of here. You can mess with the bag, look inside it, dump it out, whatever you want… as soon as you get outside of the city. But get outside first, understand?" He snapped forcefully, before turning and racing around the corner… back the way they had just come from.

His voice could be heard saying, "You think you have what it takes to bring down Blue Oak?" Then the sound of a scuffling could be heard, fists hitting fists… and then several gunshots rang out, and there was silence. Whatever had occurred on the other side of the wall… was over.

Nora felt her life slipping away as she watched the fury of moment. He stayed… He stayed and is helping her… but why? He was a crook. Shouldn't he have just run for it?

Why…Why was the peacekeeper holding up a smoking magic bow? Could he have been the one who hit me? Without the shaft of this bow's projectile… I cannot be sure. That Blue man… He moves so swiftly now… Why is he different now? The thoughts plagued her mind as she tried to hold on.

Her eyes widened at the ring, landing by her face. She grabbed it and felt the rush of power it held. She placed it onto her new hole and gasped as it worked. Muscles and veins, stitching themselves together. Bones mending to the shock she had received. Energy to remake the blood she had lost. She held it there until the pain all left her, a soft ping filled the air. She scooped the strange, small lump of metal that was in her and held it tight. She would ask later what it was for and how it was in her.

Nora got up and nodded her head, confused. She grabbed the bag in questions and began to run barefooted. She felt her heart race as she began to run. She followed the sounds of loud machines… Maybe they could lead a way out. She came across a long and flat pathway.

A small tug to her robe made her look down. A pair of Rattatas were concerned. She quickly asked the way out of the city. They pointed to the right path. She nodded and ran, hearing them whisper to other Pokemon of her speaking with them.

Nora ran and ran, out of the city and into the fields. She did not stop until all she could hear was the sound of the field. She huffed and sat under a large tree. Pokemon came out to see who it was. Nora asked them to give her room and they did, telling the rest of the field of her ability. Her three friends then came out of their balls to be with her as she tried to understand everything. She pulled Blue's Pokeballs out and held them in her hands.

"I don't know if you can hear me little ones. I am Nora of the Miltanks. Blue.. I don't know where he is. But fear not. I hereby name you temporary members of the Miltank Clan. I will take care of you for now... So long as we work as one." She gently told the balls of red and white.

While Geodude stayed inside of its ball, Pikachu emerged looking seriously troubled. "We… aren't deaf inside of those things, you know," he said to Nora matter-of-factly, "nor are we blind. Solid Rock and I saw absolutely everything that happened, including how he gave you the bag… and how he died in order to get you to safety." He was silent for a moment, as he looked around and then reached for the Celebi Ring. "May I?"

Miltank narrowed it's eyes at the Pikachu. "Temper there Pikachu. All of this is new to us. Nora was given our balls and told they were important in the future. Right after she fell asleep and woke up just a few hours ago. Even we had no idea the strangeness that is given to us in there." Miltank warned as Arcanine and Raichu settled near Nora.

" I-I am sorry though…that he is gone. I wish it was a different final act for him. It was never my intent that I be a part of the loss of your Clanmate. I hope someday you can forgive me, and we can be friends." Nora spoke to Pikachu and bowed towards him. She pulled the ring free from her hands.

"Sure… but please take great care. I was told this ring holds the key to saving the human race." Nora said, handing the ring to the yellow mouse.

Pikachu shot a glare at the Miltank. "My name is Charcoal. Pikachu is my race, and it is quite impolite to go around calling people by their race rather than their name. And as I said earlier, I heard all of that. I also know that this girl must be the one that the legend spoke of.

"A girl from a time non-existant

shall arise with flame.

She shall bring justice to the world,

and on all those who are to blame

A fiery pokemon

That once filled the skies

Gave in to mankinds demands

With a heavy sigh

He cursed the world

To sink in its sin

Hoping for freedom

A child who could win

Where even the mighty

Crumpled and fell

A girl whose legend

We shall all learn to tell

One she is seeking

Unlike all the rest

Noble and kind

And the best of the best

With Celebi ring

And three friends at her side

With a chosen one's cunning

And a dangerous bribe

Victory shall come

Or so it is said

Harmony with pokemon

Or humanity dead"

Charcoal reached out and took the Celebi Ring in his hands, looking it up and down. "Blue was a good one, one of the rare few. A stubborn, proud, impatient, sarcastic jerk… who saw Pokemon as unintelligent. All that is true, but nonetheless, Solid Rock and I wouldn't have hesitated to give our lives for him."

"Forgive me then…Charcoal. Times are different than when I was our Clan Leader." Miltank said with a mini bow.

"To us, a name like that is personal to the Pokemon race. In our time, a human had one name and a Clan to belong to. I am Nora and a member of the Miltank Clan since I was born as I have not been wed. Miltank, Arcanine and Raichu bear hidden names from their race as well. A personal Pokemon name is given only to the ones you trust and consider your Clanmate for life." Nora explained. She soon began to hold tight the message, thinking it bore something important.

"I am Archie. This is Rai-Rai, and Millie. We ask you keep our names close as any name holds power from one to another. When the risk of betrayal is around you all the time…one has to hide their real heart." Archie the Arcanine explained, motioning to the others.

"Blue sounds like a man I would of wanted in the Clan. A Clan fights for themselves as well as the group. A family and an army at its core. I would want him at my side if we were at war. I wish I had some aged Sake to toast to his memories…but I have nothing besides you all and this bag he left." Nora explained, feeling sad and patting the bag.

Charcoal nodded his head quietly, listening to the two of them explaining things that, frankly, he didn't really care very much about. At the moment, his mind was too filled with the loss of his dear companion to care anything about how naming systems worked in a time long ago and forgotten. But he raised his eyes when Nora said what she did.

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. After everything he put you through, and the number of times you cursed Ho-Oh down upon him, you suddenly say that you want him a member of your Clan? You are probably actually rejoicing over his death, glad that you finally got rid of the stupid kid with the big mouth, or something along those lines." He finished bitterly, spitting out the last few words.

Then he turned and looked into the distance. "The fact that you talk so non-chalantly, so normally, and about topics as unimportant as these… reveals exactly what you think of this man who gave up his life for you. Want him in your Clan? Ha! You watched him die without so much as a thank you."

As Nora patted the bag, it promptly meowed.

Nora sighed and looked to Charcoal. He was right… All of it. She hated him for what he did to her in their brief span of time. She wished he meet misfortune on his quest… But not this. "Yes… I know I did. I wanted him gone. But it was because he show himself as a jerk. I fell asleep to a world turn to ashes thanks to people like him. Humans that think Pokemon are tools.

" Humans like that are the reason I'm not back in my time, sleeping under the stars with my team. I've missed Entei, Raikou and Suicune ever since I was explained what I had to do. They were the siblings I never got to have as the Miltank clan was mainly my mother and I. I said I would want him for seeing the respect he commands from you now, even in death. He understands the way a foe works.

"I watched him when he showed his true colors as a top warrior and moved with the speed that could make your race jealous. He could of run and let me die, but he took the ring and had the Peacekeepers follow him and not me. I'm not mournful because the shock over everything is in me. I just ran through unfamiliar territory to be here and now find myself with you, Solid Rock, and these three from my former life." Nora explained to Charcoal.

Nora blinked her eyes as she look to the bag, an eyebrow raised. "Er, do these evolved bags have a meow alarm when handled by someone else?" Nora asked, gently opening the bag up.

"Oh. Good. For a moment there I thought you just might be as psychotic as Blue was convinced you were," Charcoal said with a dismissive nod of his head. "Anybody who has been through what you went through really should have nothing but distaste for the guy. And I promise you, it wasn't some form of elaborate performance on his part. He really, truly WAS like that. All the time. Saying that his death was him showing his true colors is not true. You saw his true colors many times. Trust me, Nora of the Miltank Clan, you would have hated to be his partner."

The bag… Blue had said it was his highest priority… He had said it was why the police were chasing him… and in all likelihood, it was just as much the bag he was trying to save as Nora. And now, said mysterious bag, the one that Blue had paid his life for, was beginning to meow.

As Nora opened the bag, she discovered that there was a small blue blanket wrapped inside. A small pink head popped out, a one-of-a-kind pokemon that hadn't even been around in the days of her clans, said to have died a millennia before that - Mew. Its eyes instantly widened as it saw Nora and slipped back under the blanket in what appeared to be terror.

"No! No! No! Go away evil person! What did you do to Blue? You evil. I don't want to go back. I can't go back. Please… don't make me go back. BLUE! BLUE! BLUE! Help…" The creature started to cry. Mew… said to be so powerful that even the great Ho-oh had once bowed his wings to it, was terrified of a human girl.


	5. Chapter 4: Moving On

**Chapter Four: Moving On**

Nora felt a gasp escape her lips. Mew… The Pokemon of legends she always dreamed of seeing. Now, it laid scared in a bag at her feet. Nora looked up, concerned, to the others. Then she saw the small glint under Millie's chin.

"Millie… You are wearing the Soothe Bell that was a gift from the Chansey clan, right? Ring it for me. The little one is scared out of his mind. I don't think even I can soothe him better than that bell." Nora asked the Miltank. It nodded and flicked the bell with a hoof. A soothing chime rang out around them.

"Mew, I swear onto the vastness of the universe Arceus made for us all, I am not going to hurt you. Those people Blue took you from won't get you from me. My name is Nora of the Miltank clan. Lord Ho-Oh had placed me into an enchanted sleep since the day the Tin Tower burned. I just woke up, and….. Well, Blue gave his life to keep both of us safe." A tear nagged at her eye from admitting the fact that Blue saved her. Nora had put a warm smile on her face to soothe Mew more.

The little creature peeked its head out of the blankets again as the girl began to talk about some strange bell. When it started playing, she blinked and crawled ever so slowly out of the bag to investigate. "Cow…" She said as she looked at it. She pointed at it with a raised eyebrow. "No such thing as a cow Pokemon."

As Nora talked, Mew didn't really pay any attention. Something about sleep… She liked to sleep too. Sleeping for a long time sounded fun, and safe. Waking up was the part that wasn't fun… Because then people stabbed you and held you under water and prodded you with sharp objects.

Blue… Blue was dead. The pokemon's eyes widened as she exclaimed, "Why does everybody have to die? Why can't people just be nice?" Being nice was fun. You got hugs. She quietly sat down on her bag, tears filling her eyes as she started to ball. "Evil… Evil… Evil… You evil! Blue is dead because of you. Blue was my friend. You are a murderer." She spoke with the voice of a young child who was pouting, though the look in her eyes suggested her accusations were serious.

"I…I…" Nora spoke after Mew, voice quivering with her lips. She felt tears form, then roll down her cheeks. She grabbed Millie's hand before she could ring her bell again.

"I'm sorry. Please understand, little one. I fell asleep in a time that made sense to me. I woke up when Blue was running away and hid in the building I was asleep in. He…He told me Pokemon were notihng but tools. They don't have a heart or feelings. They were something one used to aide oneself. I-I did curse him with every fiber of my being. I grew up with nothing but love to Pokemon. To me, Archie, Rai-Rai and Millie here are my best friends...the siblings I never had. We were equals and still are. I watched Blue use Solid Rock and Charcoal here as weapons, not as friends or as a group." Nora explained, tears now rolling down her face.

She carefully folded her legs into her chest, wishing she was back in her time again, back when everything made sense to her. "He...He took my friends, my Pokemon, as hostages. He threatened to kill them with a magical bow. I-I had no choice but to help. He got us out of the building.. but I was hit from a magic bow a peacekeeper had. I-I almost died again. If Blue did not get me this Celebi ring and had the peacekeepers follow him, I would have."

"I took the bag he gave me and ran. I-I did not stop when I heard many magic bows fire at once. Please, little one… Forgive me of any crime I may of committed. I-I want us to be friends. I want to keep you safe from these bad men who dare hurt you. No Pokemon or Human should hurt another outside the battlefield." Nora explained before she buried her crying face into her knees.

Mew watched the girl reach out and stop the cow Pokemon that wasn't supposed to exist from playing the pretty music. "Meanie… I liked listening to that," she thought to herself.

As Nora tried to explain, Mew gave her a bored, uninterested expression, while Charcoal simply nodded his head as if this were quite typical Blue behavior. As Nora finished her story, Mew simply said. "Humans are evil, and you are stupid. Why should I care if he treats somebody like you bad?"

As Nora finished, it was Charcoal that spoke up. "Blue truly was a very complicated individual. In fact, the way he has lived his life has caused the entire world, human and Pokemon alike, to consider him to be one of the most dangerous criminals since Kanto was founded. Even I wouldn't dare argue with them."

"Selfish, manipulative, saw Pokemon as tools and humans as twisted idiots. Blue was the pinnacle of an island unto himself. He saw everyone as beneath him… Treated me and Rock Solid as tools to accomplish his purposes, didn't hesitate to kill those who got in his way. And always said, 'He who lives by the gun, dies by the gun.' He always expected to die this way."

Charcoal set his hand on Nora's knee. "What happened today was Blue, all Blue. And although he hadn't wanted it to come so soon, this is exactly how he would have wanted to go down, with his guns blazing while fighting the humans he hated most, the police. Don't blame yourself for it. Sitting out here in the open is dangerous though. Mew, Nora, we have to start making out way to Viridian."

Nora nodded her head as she wiped her tears. Archie licked her face to help as she lightly smiled. "We can do this, Nora. Ho-Oh, Entei, Raikou and Suicune are depending on us… So is the Human race. Let us help show these…future people how we do things. Our strength is yours, as you are the human clan leader. Get up, brush it off, and lead." Rai-Rai told her.

"Yeah… Hey, let's start from the beginning. Charcoal, Solid Rock, Mew….I'm Nora of the Miltanks. This is Millie, a Miltank of our clan, and the Pokemon Leader. Rai-Rai and Archie of our clan, who were the security for us in the fields. We would be honored if you would join us. We been given a quest from Ho-Oh himself to find the hero whose eyes will glow purple at wearing this ring, and whose destiny is to bring us all as one again…or Ho-Oh will destroy the Human you join us?" Nora asked, bowing to them.

"Then to Viridian we go… but first, is there any clothing in there with you, Mew? I fear a blood soaked, faded, and fragile Kimono is not a wise idea at this time. Oh, and you better take point Charcoal. I have never been to the lands of Kanto before. All I know is the woods around Amethyst Town in the lands of Teleper, during my time that is." Nora said, glancing into the bag.

"Firstly, you already told us we were members of your long dead clan," Charcoal said with a roll of his eyes. "You don't seem to get it. Even if you succeed, even if peace is found, even if the evil humans and Pokemon can be dealt with, the world will never go back to the one you had. There will never be clans. You… Nora… Need to find your place in this new world and let go of the old one, because you are going to be here for the rest of your life."

He wasn't trying to be mean. That just wasn't his way of doing things. He was trying to make an important point. Truly, identifying yourself fully as a member of a past that no longer existed would make it impossible to move on, and somebody who could not let go of the past and live in the present… Wouldn't be able to save themselves, let alone two entire species.

"As for taking point, that I will gladly do for the time being, but as a supposed hero, you are going to need to figure out how to make your way by yourself." He looked at her friends quietly. "In every person's life, there comes a moment when they must stand on their own two feet. You need to make sure you are ready for that."

Mew pulled the bag away from Nora's reach and glared at her. "Only my blanket is in here, and you cannot have it Meanie."

Nora sighed as she look to them both. "I know that the ways of old I came from are gone. I just don't know how anything works now. Back then, your name and clan is how you identified yourself. I heard the peacekeepers call Blue with two names, is that how the world works? You have two names over the clan names of the past? If so, I will need to make a new name for myself." Nora said as she got up. She at least put the belt with their balls on her hip. If Blue had them like that then it must be the way the world worked. Rai-Rai and Millie returned to their balls as Archie stayed out.

"How can one stand on two feet when the solid rock they were on is now an unknown void of darkness? Until we know how this world works, the way of old is all we know. Once in Viridian, we will observe and copy people. We will obtain a map and new clothes for Nora. Nora has always been skilled at spying on people, copying their mannerism, and so on. All we need is to see the new way of the world to grasp how it works." Archie argued towards Charcoal as they walked.

"Then at least let me carry the bag and you. I swear to whatever you want I will not cause you harm, and I will be gentle. Besides, you should hide yourself as many people and Pokemon would want to hurt you, or take you away from us. I have seen clans go to war on mere rumors of Mew sightings in a certain location. I'd hate to see what people in this new age would do to you." Nora offered to Mew.

Charcoal nodded his head and said, "You do make a point there, but my point still stands. One cannot save the present until they have stopped living in the past. It is a physical impossibility." He looked pityingly at Nora and Archie, not voicing what was truly in his mind. As far as he could tell, Blue's initial impression with quite correct. This girl was no kick-butt warrior hero. She seemed way too incompetent and inexperienced. The future of two races was in the hands of this CHILD?

Mew stared down at her bag, then looked up at Nora, then back down to her bag, and then back up again. Blue had said the exact same thing when he had rescued her. "Swearing is bad, meanie. When people swear bad things happen." She looked back at the bag and then said, "Fine, but I still hate you. I'm only listening cause Charcoal could kill you if he wanted to. The only reason you lived after he shot at you last time is because he pretended to be wimpy."

Charcoal turned and motioned for Nora to follow him. "I don't know how the world worked when you lived, but humanity's evil has penetrated countless Pokemon." He glanced around. "Wild ones could attack and attempt to kill you at any time. Keep your guard up. Even walking from one town to another is dangerous." Then he turned and started walking across the field, eyes glancing back and forth nervously.

"Then Viridian will be the best place to restart. I can see the new modern way of life. With you, Solid Rock, and Mew, I can learn quickly and become like the humans of this age. Until then, all I know of is you have hard, vast roads of stones that hurt bare feet. Somehow humans can make their own electricity to light up their vast homes. The buildings seem to be made from something other than the wood we had used. Oh, and avoid those magic bows…Guns, I believe Blue called them. They can kill faster then any arrow could dream of doing." Nora said.

"Master Mew… May I ask what has fallen onto you? I remember hearing the tales of how even Lord Ho-Oh bowed to your desires and followed you. I remember learning from my mother as a Growlithe cub to beware disobeying your commands. I wish not to be rude…I am curious, that is all." Archie asked, looking to the bag Nora gently placed on her back like Blue had it.

"Then, as the once security guard of our clan, I shall help keep an eye out. Evil was not limited by race in our time. Pokemon who led Humans were just as corrupt as their counterparts. I guess time did not heal that rift as I had hope." Archie commented to Charcoal as it scanned the woods around them.

"Can't say I understand that much of it myself," Charcoal muttered quietly. "I mean, I'm a Pokemon. We just live in the wild, not in houses or anything." The human world and how it worked was something that Pokemon had no patience or interest in. Ever since humans had settled on the island 500 years ago, it had meant nothing but bad news for the Pokemon there. Those who were smart stayed as far away from humans as possible. Charcoal was one of them.

Mew looked the Arcanine up and down critically. "You are Meanie's friend, so you are not Mew's," she said judgingly. Then she turned abruptly away from them, and towards Charcoal, as if asking him to speak instead, which he did.

"Blue got there too late." That was all. Maybe he would explain the whole story later, but at the moment he felt that he didn't have the heart to tell THAT story just yet.

"There you go bringing up the clans again," Charcoal muttered under his breath. He also didn't add what he, and all Pokemon of his day for that matter, knew to be the case. Evil Pokemon only existed because of evil people, and since they had gotten worse over time - there HAD to be more evil Pokemon than there had been back then.

Archie spat an ember towards Charcoal. "Again, it is all we know for now. Until we observe the humans and Pokemon of today… you will just have to deal with it." Nora sighed and rubbed her eyes. Figures his annoyed side would piss off the only friend they had now.

Gently, as if she was holding a PokeEgg, Nora moved the bag to her arms. She carried it like she remembered the mothers of other clans did with their young. She offered a warm smile to the pink Pokemon. "Then… I shall do my best for you to see I am different. To me, Pokemon are friends, or even family. I would love nothing more then to be your friend, Mew." Nora gently told her with a warm smile.

Nora shivered as she felt something near them. She looked towards a shadowy section of the woods. A small glint as she heard leaves break. "GET DOWN!" She called, covering up Mew and exposing her back. A Bullet Seed attack came flying out towards them all. Archie covered Charcoal in turn as well. Nora tried to keep a smile on her face as she felt the attack hit her hard. As soon as it stopped, she glanced to Archie.

"I'm on it!" He called and darted into the woods to get the Pokemon that did this. Nora tried to stay calm as her back was cut up and filled with bruises.

Charcoal watched everything unfold, but chose to say and do nothing. He didn't really have any loyalty to the Chosen Hero or The Seeker, but he had a devotion to Blue. Since Blue had given up his life for said hero, the very least he could do was ensure she didn't end up getting herself killed. He didn't intend to be around for long though, which was why he was so determined to get her to learn what she needed to learn quickly.

Mew… HoOh… What happened? Mew grimaced as she continued to dwell on Meanie's Arcanine friend. Who did that Pokemon think he was, asking questions like that to somebody he had just met? Then, deciding she had had enough of this, Mew turned and flew back into her bag again.

When the attack came out of nowhere, Charcoal's first instinct was to dive into the bushes and blast whoever it was to smithereens, but he found himself blocked by Arcanine. Although he could easily have gotten around, Charcoal deliberately stayed where he was. If the future heroes were trying to be that way, who was he to get in their way?

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"Nice move," a pidgey whispered as it landed next to the oddish who had just attacked "but I'm afraid the human still appears to be alive. I suggest we try the LM strategy as there is no way our team could beat the Arcanine if he returns before the human is dead." Then it took off again.


	6. Chapter 5: The Human Hunter

**Chapter 5: The Human Hunter**

Arcanine moved swiftly and silently through the grass. He gently snuck up on the talking duo. A small grin filled his face. He recalled a memory of scaring away a Houndoom and took a deep breath. He forced the air over his vocal cords and unleashed his mighty Roar attack.

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Nora lightly smiled as she heard his bellow. She winced as she sat on her butt. "Are you alright in there?" She mumbled to the bag as she kept an eye out for the scared Pokemon to come running over. "Better be ready to shock those fools if they run this way…" Nora said to Charcoal.

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The Oddish squealed and took off running, for a moment. Then it stopped and turned back towards the Arcanine again, shivering. The roar HAD worked, that much was obvious. He was just… More scared of something else. "Stupid dog," it whispered under its breath as it fired out some bullet seeds and jumped behind a tree.

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Above, hidden in a nearby tree, the pidgey stared out at Nora with hatred in his eyes. Using one of his wings, he pulled out what appeared to be a tiny walkie-talkie. "Poky, Prod, Kazap, Pighead, Lame. If you are in position you may act on my signal."

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Mew didn't bother to respond, having apparently gone back to sleep. Charcoal, having decided to leave it up to Archie and Nora, was laying on his back on the ground, eating an apple, eyes closed.

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Archie lightly chuckled at the fleeing Oddish. He grinned and began to sniff around. He had taken little damage from the attack. "Why do you flee little one? Have you no honor in your little legs?" He asked. He was starting to move around the tree, fire forming in his mouth for a Flamehrower.

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Nora winced and peeked into the bag. She sighed at seeing the sleeping Mew. "Boy, you are something there Mew… You fall asleep in the middle of the battle." She looked up to Charcoal. "I could say the same about you. Do you think it was acting alone?" Nora got up and held her back as best as she could with her free hand. The other held Mew's bag tightly.

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The Oddish stared out at the Arcanine quietly, trying to wrack his brain for some way to get out of this situation without being fried. He couldn't let Vladimir down by running, not when he had specifically said that all the plan needed was to keep the Arcanine busy. Didn't want a dog sniffing them out, after all.

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"You were shot by bullet seeds," Charcoal replied, opening his eyes for a moment. "I don't even know who shot them, how should I know if they were working alone? And you are the hero. If I solve all your problems for you, you will never learn how to do so yourself. I am staying out of this one, Nora Miltank."

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Above, in the trees, unheard by those below, Vladimir began to countdown. "10… 9…"

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Archie grinned as much as he could with a mouth filled with flames. He could see his target now. All it took was a small inhale to increase the heat of his flames. That Oddish would pay for hurting a member of his clan. The world may have changed, but protecting the people you cared about, your clan of friends and family, never would.

Something in the back of his mind nagged him. His Roar attack should have sent it running for the hills. Why was this battle even happening? His Roar was one of the scariest, even more then Entei's was in The Age of The Clans. There was no way Pokemon could have evolved into not fleeing at its sound. Could Nora be in danger? Well… if she was then Rai-Rai was with her. That Raichu had been Archie's partner since they had joined the Miltanks. Rai Rai was just as powerful as he was.

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Nora rolled her eyes as she looked around the forest. She wondered why it was taking Archie this long. Usually one Roar was all it took. Even she was scared of his Roar attack. Something was not right here… As if in response, Rai-Rai came out of his ball. He let a small snarl out as he looked from the forest to Charcoal.

"Look Charcoal… Say what you want, but we are a team. If one falls, so does the other. Do you really want to live in a world without Humans? A world where Blue would never have existed? Nora asked for your opinion on the battle, not for you to go blazing into the forest to see if the attacking grass type was alone. BAH! Are Pokemon today as lazy as you are?"

With a snort, Rai-Rai turned his back on Charcoal. His eyes softened as he looked at Nora's back. "You are going to need new clothes sooner now. I can see your… Those fabric straps you use to hold your front together. Not to mention how tattered your back looks with bruises." Nora patted his head a bit as she nodded in agreement with his assessment.

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The Oddish frowned as it watched Archie approach him. He wasn't 100% sure if what he was about to do was going to work, but it was becoming more and more clear that there was only one way out of the present situation. So, jumping out in front of the Arcanine, he let loose a blast of sleep powder directly into the Arcanine's face.

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"Silly Raichu," Vladmir chuckled with a grin, as he watched it come out of its pokeball. He'd been prepared for that, as it was hanging around the girl's belt. He was, after all, the greatest human hunter between Pallet Town and Viridian City. "Your thunder powers will be quite useless against our underground squad." He snapped his claws as he went back to counting. "6…5…4…"

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Charcoal didn't bother to look up as Rai Rai spoke. It wasn't worth it. The skill and power that he held would have been able to down all four single-handedly if he felt like it. To him, the four warriors were truly nothing more than inexperienced children. As such, rash statements like the one the Riachu had just said could be expected, and tolerated. What kind of adult were you if you couldn't handle a child's outbursts?

"The four of you are a team. I am not here to help you on your quest or to do any battles for you. Plus, I answered your partner's question. I have no interest in humans besides Blue. Regardless of whether or not you win, he isn't coming back. I am here for two reasons, and two reasons only. Firstly, to make sure that the four of you do not get yourself killed, since Blue died for that same reason. More than that, though, I am watching over Mew. As soon as I am sure you guys can survive without me here for emergencies; me, Solid Rock, and Mew are out of here. Why do you think he hasn't bothered to come out of his pokeball?"

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Archie snorted as the flames died in his mouth. Sleep Powder!? His mind cursed all poison-type Pokemon as he began to sway on his paws. He shot a flamethrower attack at Oddish and felt his eye lids grow heavy. "N-N-Nora…" He managed to call out before flopping into sleep.

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"I figured it was from grief at losing his friend and trainer," Nora said, glancing at Solid Rock's ball. A tug in her heart went out to the trio of Pokemon. They had only seen the pain humans could cause… the turmoil of their hearts. If only they could have seen what had she lived through, an era of Humans and Pokemon coming together as one. Their goal; to fight together as one.

Rai-Rai growled and charged up an attack when Nora stepped between him and Charcoal. She shook her head as the Raichu calmed his nerves. "Alright then… you are free to do what you want. I would consider it a great honor if the three of you were to remain and help me save the humans, but if you wish to leave, you may.

"I do want to help you restore Mew to her formal glory. I want you and Solid Rock to be happy, and I had hoped that helping me would bring you the happiness you deserve. It would also be a chance to see how things once were and to help me save the humans that Blue hailed from. Can I ask you something? What will you three do without Blue now?" Nora prompted as she tilted her head.

She shot up at hearing the distant cry. Millie came out of her ball and charged into the woods. "I got it! Protect Nora. It's a trap I bet!" an enraged Miltank spoke as she zoomed past.

"You think we are ignorant and young, I suppose," Charcoal said as he looked up at Nora and Rai-Rai with a frown. "You are all obviously children. I can tell just by looking at you, as somebody my age should be able to. Rest assured, I am not your typical Pikachu by any means. And as for people, you keep saying 'the world of people that Blue was from', as if you are forgetting that it was frickening people who killed him off!"

He glared coldly at Nora, "and that it was because of another human that he had to do so. Before I met Blue, I hated humans. After I met Blue, I have dealt with every level of society from judges, to police officers, to book owners, to scientists, down to the lowliest of criminals. I have been exposed to more kinds of people than even you have as a human. It is simple. Blue, even as a human, hated humanity. Why should I, as a Pokémon, feel any differently?"

However, he sat up and glanced around in reaction to Archie's yell. Inside his ball, Rock Solid also opened his eyes. "Wh…What's going on?" Mew asked as she poked her head out of the bad sleepily. "Why is the Archanine yelling?" Once she noticed the Arcanine wasn't there, however, her eyes widened and she slipped back into the bag to hide. Something was seriously wrong here.

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The pidgey's eyes glistened at the scream. So the Archanine was taken care of. That left simply a raichi, a pikachu, that weird cow thing, and a geodude. That would be no problem for his team. "3… 2… 1…"

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"I got you Mew… I swear I won't let anything happen." Nora gently told the bag as she and Rai-Rai looked around. Sparks were already sparking from his cheeks.

"Because Humans and Pokemon are SUPPOSED to work as one! Humans and Pokemon are at their core the same! We both have souls and hearts that care. We make each other better. A world without humans is… like a day without the sun. A night without stars. The same can be said to a world without Pokemon. I fell asleep in a world that made sense to me. A world of…Honor, friends, family and Clans. Now, all that been taken from me. Do you think I wanted to be in this time? I wanted to be on a journey with my team of Pokemon. I wanted to see the world before I became the human leader of the Miltank clan. Now the closest thing I have to siblings are in those woods, hurt. I have been thrust into a time where everything that was logic to me is gone, and nothing makes sense! If I am a child, then you're a stubborn baby! Blue died, yes. But now you need to get up, stand on your paws, and move forward!" Nora yelled at Charcoal, shaking from the effort.

Nora growled like a Pokemon and picked up a nearby stick. She weighed it in her hands before she looked to the woods. "It is not a sword…but it will do," she mumbled to herself. One of her hands held the bag as the other held the stick like a sword. "REVEAL THYSELF! OR ARE YOU TOO COWARDLY TO SHOW YOUR FACES, YOU HONORLESS SONS OF SHUCKLES!" Nora yelled out around them. Her knuckles were turning white from gripping the sword stick.

"A stubborn baby would have stayed behind and pouted," Charcoal replied coldly. "The way you speak reveals your ignorance. If I simply wanted to throw a fit, the last thing I would be doing was traveling with you. The very fact that I haven't just abandoned you to die, and I am more and more feeling like doing, shows that I have self-control and a sacrificial attitude. Don't you get it, little girl?

"I don't care about your quest, about your mission, your Ho-Oh, or your no-longer-possible dreams. If I were simply acting for myself, I would have left you to get captured by the police back near Pallet Town. The way that I see it, I have absolutely nothing to gain from helping you. Yet I am doing it anyways. Think about that instead of running your tongue.

"If I really don't care about any of that stuff you are fighting for, what do I gain from helping you? Absolutely nothing. If I gain absolutely nothing, but am willing to do it anyways… You owe me gratitude for WHATEVER I choose to do for you, because you alone gain from any action that I decide to do. There is absolutely nothing stubborn or baby-ish about that. The only babyish thing I see here is your unwillingness to be grateful that I am doing anything at all."

Charcoal really felt like pulling his fur out as he looked at the girl. He really didn't get why she was so blind to what he was doing for her. She acted like doing anything besides helping her made him some kind of idiot. Naïve… utter naivety. That's what he saw when he looked at her. He had already helped her a thousand times more than he'd had to, and the only thing he'd gotten for the trouble was complaints. So while he was doing actions that helped her, she blindly accepted it as OWED for some reason, instead of being gratefully… and then turned around and demanded MORE?

Nora took a deep breath and sighed. Charcoal was right… He helped her who knows how much already. She would be who knows where back in that strange place. It seemed her manners were still out of whack. "Forgive me…" she said, turning to the Pikachu. Ashamed, she let the words flow from her mouth. "So much has change that I let my manners leave me. You, Solid Rock, Mew, and even Blue have done so much for me and my friends.

"When I get stressed and out of sort, my manners leave me. My Mother always told me it would cost me greatly someday. I see now it has hurt you most of all. If you and your friends are willing, I could use the continual help in finding my footing in this life. You have no idea how grateful I am… I just stink like a Grimer at expressing it. Without you, who knows what my fate would have been with those Peacekeepers. So please…forgive me."

Nora moved the bag to hold it like a precious baby. She took her arm with the stick and placed the fist over her heart. She snapped her feet straight under her and bent over towards Charcoal. Nora bowed towards Charcoal, a symbol in her time of seeking forgiveness and giving one's trust to another. For exposing the back of your neck, a weak point for humans and Pokemon alike, is trust that the person won't hack your head off. Nora hoped that this symbol was still a part of this modern time.

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An evil glint flashed through Vladmir's eyes as he ordered, "NOW!" It was laughable really. He'd watched them, discovered they knew something was up, seen them get all suspicious. Then, when he was about to begin his somewhat risky attack, they had started fighting against each other. The Raichu was clearly distracted with the idea of tearing the Pikachu's head off, and the girl was lowering her neck so that any pokemon worth their salt could kill her absurdly easily.

The ground underneath of the unsuspecting Raichu suddenly vanished before he even had a chance to register what was going. It was due to a massive Earthquake attack caused by a group of four Diglett. Three Spearow dove down from the sky, straight at Nora's neck. It was something that only Charcoal could see, since Rai Rai was busy falling and Nora couldn't see behind her in said position.

All that Nora could see was Charcoal's eyes widening as she bowed, which could easily have been interpreted as shock at her actions. Then, he shoved her aside, easy even for someone of his size due to the awkward position she was in. As he readied his cheeks for a blast, his tail was grabbed from behind by a rattata. Though it would have been easy to defeat it, all of this was happening in a matter of seconds, which meant that there was no time for him to dodge out of the way of the birds.

Nora lying sprawled out on the ground, Rai Rai lying at the bottom of a small pit, nearly unconscious from the four consecutive super effective hits, Archie asleep, Millie out by Archie. Mew cowering in her bag. Charcoal about to take the brunt of three dive-bombing Spearow. At the last moment, when everything seemed like it was about to end, like Vladmir had actually won… A flash of light occurred, followed by a number of massive rocks falling. As the dust cleared, Solid Rock was on the ground, his eyes flashing… the Rattata, the Spearows, and the Digletts… were sprawled out across the ground… buried under a Rock Slide.


	7. Chapter 6: The Aftermath

**Chapter 6: The Aftermath**

Millie snorted in annoyance when she found him. Archie was on his back, paws up high and a sly grin on his sleeping face. Millie snorted as she walked up to him. "Get up, Slowpoke. Nora needs us with her. Stop chasing that stupid Persian in your dreams already. You know she is far gone, and dead, and glad you're not trying to scare the daylights out of her." Millie told him, slapping his side.

Archie snorted in his sleep and rolled over. Millie was about to give up and have Nora drag him out when the loud bang filled the air. Millie gasped and looked back, spotting the plume of smoke from all the attacks. "NORA! RAI-RAI! CHARCOAL! SOLID ROCK!" Millie called out, keeping Mew's name off the list since she knew Mew was hiding.

Millie looked at Archie, who was still asleep. She sighed and backed up. With a snort, she ran full force into his butt, horns first. "AROOOoooOO!" The large dog Pokemon cried in pain as he shot forward a foot. He got up and growled at Millie, but she was pointing a hoof at the smoke. Archie turned and nodded, giving up on his anger. The two ran back to Nora and the others.

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Nora shook her head a bit to clear the scramble of thoughts. Everything moved so quickly…Charcoal's eyes…being pushed…Rai-Rai attacked… Millie and Archie out in the forest…those Spearow. Nora gently sat up and held Mew's bag close to her. She was not about to let anything happen to her friends. She looked around at the mini battle field.

"Everyone alright? Solid Rock? You alright after that wonderful display? Charcoal? Are you hurt? Rai-Rai? You okay in there?" Nora asked in turn. She got up on shaking feet and moved to the edge of the new pit. Rai-Rai raised a paw and waved, dazed still. Nora knew he was going to need help getting out and resting from those ground type moves.

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"No! BLAST THIS!" Vladmir roared in his mind, though keeping himself and his location completely undetectable. He stared down at the chaos around him, and his eyes darkened. He needed better men, stronger men, more competent warriors if he was going to take down this human. That was much very clear. He muttered under his breath the oath that he had made the moment he began this job.

No human he crossed would ever walk away alive. As this one had survived his first attack, it meant only one thing. He was going to need to retreat, get stronger, and return again later. After ensuring that he could not be detected, he flew off, found Oddish, and helped him stumble away through the tall grass.

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Rock Solid pretty much ignored everything that Nora said, and turned directly towards Charcoal. "What were you thinking, you idiot!? You could have died attempting to save this… THING!" He motioned towards Nora, making no attempt to hide his disgust. "Look, we already lost Blue because of it." He obviously didn't even consider her worthy of being referred to as a 'her'. "I am not willing to lose you as well. Think before you act next time!"

Charcoal shook his head and motioned towards the bag that Nora was holding. "I will not. The reason I am here is to ensure that Blue didn't die in vain. That means, both Nora and Mew are worth giving my life for."

"Blue didn't give his life for THAT, you dolt," Rock Solid said, motioning towards Nora angrily. "He gave his life for his duty. He made a promise, and his promises meant more to him than anything. Because if he couldn't even count on himself, there was nothing he could count on."

"Just go back in your pokeball, Rock Solid," Charcoal said with a shake of his head. "Although I agree with you completely about why Blue died… it was kinda obvious when he cursed her before he went… He nevertheless DID die to keep her alive. Until she can stand on her own… I AM WILLING TO DO THE SAME!" He basically roared the last part out. In return, Rock Solid turned up his nose and headed back into his pokeball.

Nora had her head down, shaking from her emotions. She listen to what the Geodude said before leaving. She did not even look up as Millie and Arcanine returned. "Millie… Go help Rai-Rai out of that hole. Arceus knows he needs a hand from taking four earthquake attacks. Archie, round up the ones that attacked us if you can. I want to know on who's order they attacked us." Nora spoke in an even tone. Her Pokemon looked concern, but did as she told them. Gently, Nora walked over and laid Mew's bag by Charcoal. Nora walked towards a tree and felt her anger rise up.

"DARN IT!" Nora yelled, hitting the tree with a fist. Tears were running down her face as she held her fist to the new hole in the tree. She pounded it a few more times. "Why…Why me? Why all of this? All I wanted was a blessing from Lord Ho-Oh to begin my Journey. All I wanted was to find my place in the world and grow from child into an adult. I wanted to see the world with Entei, Raikou, and Suicune. I wanted to find my destiny in a time that made sense. I wanted to know why, beyond the care I gave them, they became my friends. But now…it's all gone.

"Nothing makes sense anymore. The first human I meet tries to kill me and takes me hostage. Now I am lost, and all I have are problems than when I left the Ranch that morning." Nora said, repeating her attack on the tree, not caring her skin was breaking and her knuckles were beginning to bleed. She needed to get her anger and emotions out. The pain it caused was helping her stay grounded in the hell she'd entered.

Nora soon calmed herself with a big breath. She straightened herself and walked back to Charcoal. She got onto her knees and tucked them under her. "Charcoal… I beseech you. Teach me how to function in this age. Help me become as strong as Blue is in your mind. I can never replace him, nor would I want that. I just want to become stronger and wiser to the way of the world and to this heavy burden I have been given. Please!" Nora asked, bowing to the ground.

As Rock Solid left, Charcoal took a moment to survey the wreckage around them. There was really only one Pokemon who could have pulled off such an elaborate, complicated attack. He'd judged everything perfectly, waited for the exact right moment, measured the skill of every single one of his opponents. He'd heard rumors of the Human Hunter from other Pokemon. Although he was called small time, based on his location, level, and followers… his intelligence had allowed his reputation to grow.

Getting him on your tail was basically a death sentence, it was said. No matter his target, he wouldn't stop until the human was dead. Of course, he'd never messed with anyone beyond a rookie before, but if what everybody said was true… Letting his prey go wasn't even an option for him. Vladmir would rather raise to the major leagues, changing whatever needed to be changed, and doing whatever it took to take down his prey.

Normally, Charcoal wouldn't have interfered with Vladmir's work. In fact, he would probably have been encouraging it… but things were different at the moment. He had sworn to protect Nora. He'd planned to leave once Nora was safe. If Vladmir was involved, however, she never would be. Such an option was now permanently off the table.

"What… What's going on?" Mew mumbled, as she crawled out of the bag with wide eyes. As she looked around her eyes widened even more, and tears started to fill her eyes again. She looked up at Nora, her eyes both hard and yet brimming with tears. "This is what I'm talking about. No matter where humans go, they are like poison. They make monsters out of Pokemon, 'cause them to fight each other, make a mess. If there weren't any humans, things like this…" She spread her hands out to motion at the battlefield, including Rai Rai, Millie, and Archie, "WOULDN'T HAPPEN!" Then she slipped back into the bag again.

Charcoal's eyes darkened as he looked up after Nora spoke. "Become stronger? You? What made Blue strong was that he was willing to see the world the way that it truly was, although he had twisted it a bit more than was healthy. He stood for one thing, and one thing only, devotion to himself. He saw the world as junk, as pathetic, you as a psycho and me and Rock Solid as obedient animals. He saw himself as the only thing that truly mattered, and was led by the promises he made to himself.

"The first was to save Mew, and the second… was to be a leader for those who couldn't take care of themselves. In a twisted, perverted, messed up way… Blue was a hero because he saw nothing but worthlessness in the world… and was therefore willing to do whatever it took to get what needed to be done, done. You will NEVER be like him. By very nature, by the very reason you are here, you cannot. And if Ho-Oh gets his way, nobody else like Blue will ever exist."

Nora felt tears form in her eyes as she sat back up. She grasped at the ground and squeezed tightly. "Then… I am lost. I am nothing. My life has dramatically changed, and I can't tell up from down. I need to get stronger in order to fight for my race. But it feels like everything I-I say or do is wrong. For Arceus sake, I was just starting out back home! It was my first day as a PokeWarrior then a basic Trainer. I was leaving to learn how the world worked. Now, even what I knew of home is gone.

"Give me an ax or a sword, I can show you how to cut a person into pieces and carry on to the next in line without hesitation. I have been the target of assassinations before just for being a PokeWhisperer. I have killed people who tried to kill me. But this…. This is all so new. I feel like a newborn child, lost and alone. The only goods thing I have are three clanmates from home, this ring, and you three. I-I can't even take a step forward without sinking into madness."

"Why did Ho-Oh pick me? All I ever did was save him from afire. I'm not qualified to save my race. This is too much." Nora admitted, motioning to everything as the tears rolled down her face. She was trapped in a void, noting could free her. Everywhere she turned was nothing. She could not even tell up from down or where solid ground was.

Charcoal frowned quietly and said, "Look. To be completely honest with you, the reason that I was talking about leaving you isn't because I would rather not lend a hand to your survival. It is because Me, Rock Solid, and Mew are completely against everything that you are fighting for. As was Blue. Humans, capable ones, are self-centered, greedy, unkind people who care naught about the world around them, nor the pokemon they hurt.

"It is a common practice to sell Pokemon as prizes or for cash. The darkness inside of humans affects the delicate balance within Pokemon that throws them off. In other words, Mankind's wickedness has been infecting Pokemon for centuries. The three of us are among the vast majority of Pokemon who truly believe that if humanity were to disappear it would be better for the Pokemon World."

He sighed for a moment, shaking his head before he continued. "Blue would have agreed with us whole-heartedly. He dedicated his life to causing problems for humanity, turning it upside-down, and whacking it around. He died fighting their law enforcement, for crying out loud. All four of us received nothing but pain from the rest of humanity, and Blue would likely delight in watching it burn… even if he had to burn along with it."

"You can't afford to look at the world the way that we do. If you become like Blue, you are signing your own death warrant. The only reason you are currently here is to prove Blue, Rock Solid, Mew, and I wrong. We cannot teach you how to be like us… because if you are like us then you will choose to let humanity die, and your journey to the future will have been pointless."

Nora sat down and dried her eyes. Millie came over as Rai-Rai sat under a tree, asleep from being almost knocked out. Archie was trying to snag the Pokemon that remained from the attack. "You are right, and it saddens me to know so many Pokemon feel this way. To know all that my clan worked towards, a time of unity with humans and Pokemon asone… has become nothing but a lost dream."

Nora sighed as Millie sat by her to help her fell better. "It is not a lesson in philosophy I require from you guys, but a lesson in how to survive. What customs exist now? What do humans and Pokemon do? I need to learn how to interact with the world, how to put the past in the past and blend in with society today. I need a crash course on this century." Nora explained to Charcoal.

"I do hope that when the day comes, and you three do leave, we are friends. Maybe our paths will cross again…maybe not, but knowing that someone out there knows me helps me feel better in this time. Right now, outside of this group, only my old Pokemon and Ho-Oh, if he is watching me, knows me. I doubt any poets or bards remember my tale or carried my name into this time. I'm like a Level one Baby Pokemon at my core. I have so much to learn…"

"Which is what I have been telling you from the get-go," Charcoal said with a shake of his head. "As long as you bury yourself in the thinking styles and customs of your now extinct world, you are never going to be anything BUT a 'baby pokemon' as you put it." He stood to his feet, looking in the direction of Mew… who was still looking around her in horror, and motioned for her to get back into the bag again. Mew complied.


	8. Chapter 7: Discussions About Humanity

**Chapter 7: Discussions About Humanity **

As he motioned for Nora to follow him, Charcoal continued. "From what I can tell, Nora Miltank, everything your group worked for was ALREADY nothing but a lost dream. If it were at all feasible in the time you came from, Ho-Oh would have let you do your work there. Instead, he deemed the people of your time too evil." He paused to let that sink in before explaining what he meant by it.

"Ho-Oh's only hope was that a time would come when humans were less evil than when you came from. The humans of that time wouldn't listen, were too blinded by greed and self-deceit, pride and self-importance. All you've said since you got here, though, is that mankind has gotten worse. If Mankind truly has gotten worse, and the better version back then wouldn't listen… you've already lost."

"I know… but at least we had a dream, unlike the other clans who simply wanted to control everything. Our dream of a better life was as shattered as the remaining body of a Cubone's mother. We were treated like pests for dreaming like that. I had hoped to change people as I traveled, but I know how much darker it was back then. It's just, back then even dark, evil people and Pokemon still followed a set rule of honor," Nora said, centering herself again.

Nora got up and walked to Archie. She reached out and grabbed a fallen Sparrow that hit them. She glared in it's eyes, slamming it to the trunk of a tree holding it's chest feathers. "Unless you want to know how I dealt with those who fight with no honor… You will tell us who's orders did you attack us. Who called out the attack on us?" Nora said, her voice filled with it's mystic tone when she spoke with Pokemon… But an edge of a darker being in her changed the tone as she glared at the bird. Her free hand was a claw shape, nails sharp from not being cut since she slept looked like talons.

The sparrow coughed and looked up at Nora with absolute hatred in his eyes. "You think I'm scared of you, human scum? You think I don't know what you monsters do to Pokémon who displease you? Go ahead! Sell me! Chop me up! Tear my wings off! You dare to tell me that I have no honor, when you humans treat us like nothing more than toys to play with and discard at will? We always knew what would happen if we got caught."

Then his eyes locked onto Charcoal. "Have you no shame? Even after everything the humans did… After they bloodthirstily captured, tortured and murdered the most powerful Pokemon in Kanto. After you got a front row seat to it… You DARE to help this human? Blue would have been ashamed of you."

The Spearow frowned and turned back to Nora, "And its no secret, you piece of refuse, who are leader is. Vladmir, the Human Hunter. You think you won? Monsters like you can't be allowed to live, especially one as powerful as you. Your death certificate has already been signed. Sooner or later… he will have your head." Then the Spearow started to laugh.

Nora felt her hand shake as she looked slightly down from the Spearow's eyes. She thrust her hand forward, diverting at the last second. THUMP! Nora felt her nails hit the trunk. It then dragged down and behind the Spearow. She pulled her arms in to give the bird Pokemon a hug. A small batch of tears were forming in her eyes

"I'm sorry… you been hurt in the past young one. Just as not all Pokemon are evil..not all us humans are evil like that. No one deserves those things you mentioned. Those things are truly awful to do to anyone, Pokemon or Human. I'm sorry that this is how you see all of us humans. Humans and Pokemon were always meant to be friends, not weapons to toss aside like that." Nora said, her voice changing to a softer, motherly like tone.

The Spearow's eyes flashed in disgust as he shook Nora's hands off of him. "Let me go you disgusting piece of trash," he spat. "I don't know what you think you're playing at, but I am not some stupid little play thing for you to yank around or cuddle." Charcoal was quiet, lost in thought, obviously dwelling on what the Spearow had said.

"As far as I can tell," Mew said as she climbed out of the bag. "It doesn't matter what you claim to be, good or evil. Bad things happen people are around. You are one of the people who claims to be good, but you just being here caused Blue to die and this huge mess." She motioned to all the Pokemon lying everywhere. "The world would be so much better without you humans messing everything up."

Nora sighed and held onto his claws, holding one hand on his wings so he could not leave. She turn to look at the troubled Charcoal. "What did he mean before about legendary Pokemon being killed, how you had a seat to witness it?"

Archie shook then growled towards Mew. He had a furious look to him as he took in her words. "No! Your wrong Mew. Not all Humans are as bad as you think they are."

"Archie..it's alright…" Nora tried to calm him, but he shook his head.

"They need to know Nora. They need to know that without you, your mom or the Miltank Clan… Rai-Rai and I would be DEAD!" Archie growled as he sat down near them.

"My mother sold out the Arcanine clan to become it's leader. She was caught and killed for her actions. We were just pups, my sisters and I, but we were abandoned by the clan in fear we had her rebellious side in us. I did all that I could to keep us three feed and safe..but I lost my two sisters in the streets. I was near death when Nora found me. Instead of kicking me and spitting at me for being clan-less like the other humans..she hugged me.

"Nora took me to her home and fed me, took care of my injuries. She gave me a home..something I never had before. Nora convinced Millie to take me in the clan. I was and still proud to be in their clan. They gave me a fire stone to evolve, they were expensive and rare back then. Nora is not like what ever humans hurt you Mew."

"Rai-Rai owes his life to her as well. He was arrogant and a fool in the Raichu clan. He was in a battle for the paw of the leader's daughter. He lost due to a underhanded trick by his opponent. He got that scar that day and almost lost his eyesight. He too was abandoned from his clan for losing. He was kicked and beaten wherever he went, until Nora's mom found him in their barn. She tended his wounds as well, the first human to show him kindness. Nora had help him re-train his eye to see. That daughter Pikachu left to join him and our clan. We left her in charge of security of our clan when we joined Nora here in this time.

"Those humans showed us both that humans can be good and kind. We learn that even Pokemon can be terrible beings and hurt us. So don't you DARE loop all Pokemon as good and the Humans all evil. All you have to do is let love and trust back in your heart Mew, same to you Charcoal and Rock Solid. Don't even begin to loop Nora with those who had wrong you." Archie explained as Rai-Rai nodded as he slumped next to the tree.

Mew's reaction wasn't what anybody was expecting, but was an avid reminder to Nora of the great Ho-Oh. "I'm not interested in stories like that. 'From my experience, a person can do something heroic one day, and something barbaric the next.'" Then she stopped and added, "There are evil Pokemon, yes. I'd agree with you completely. Ho-Oh must have told you, though. It's because of humans. He wanted to destroy them before they corrupted Pokemon too much to be saved. Who knows if it is too late for that now?"

"We all watched Blue," Charcoal said coldly. "Even you did for a while. THAT is how any human who fights for Pokemon ends up. For every story of heroism, there are ten thousand stories of wickedness. The difference is simple. Pokemon are naturally good with a few screwed up enough mentally to be villains. Humans are naturally evil, with the rare few insane enough to try to be heroes.

"Don't you get it? You and Blue are the exceptions, and a species cannot be permitted to destroy the world simply because it happens to accidentally spawn a handful of decent creatures." Charcoal shook his head. "You want proof? They killed Blue because he dared to put a Pokemon's life above a human's. Normal people, the average human, is a monster."

The Spearow nipped forcefully at Nora's hand and slipped out of her grasp. "Even if you really ARE decent," he spat distastefully, "you won't live long. Decency is not permitted in this world, not toward Pokemon at least. If you are lying, Vladmir will kill you. If you are not, the humans that you speak so highly of will do it instead. If the humans kill off al their decent folk, and we kill all of their evil, Ho-Oh won't even need to get involved. Humanity will destroy itself!" With that final pronouncement, the Spearow flapped its wings and took off into the sky. Archie shook his head a bit. Then he puffed up his chest. "I fear you missed the point I was making here. Rai-Rai and I, before lost to the streets, dealt ONLY with the Pokemon of our clan. Our first, actual interaction with Humans was when they spat at us and treated us like dirt. Maybe Nora and Blue are exceptions, but how would you explain the actions of the Pokemon of the past? Was that Arcanine leader 'good' when he killed my mother before me and cast me out to die? Was Rai-Rai's opponent 'good' when he used dirty tricks to almost blind Rai Rai, just to win some fight?"

"No, Pokemon and Humans are born in this world neutral. They learn how to be either good or bad. I watched from the streets as a human child was told to spit at a near-death Meowth. The child wanted to help that Pokemon, but her parents told her not to. That same child came by the next day and spat at me, receiving praise from her parents. I watched Millie talk to other clans about how to raise the young cubs of the clans. They wanted to teach them nothing but how to obtain power, even if they had to backstab others to reach it. Pups that were neutral were forced to learn how to fight, not for survival but to destroy their opponent and lose their honor."

Nora lightly hissed as she grasped her bleeding hand. She watched as he flew away. "Then.. I will use my own light to lead the way to a better tomorrow. One act of kindness can inspire another. One act can become a flood of new ones in turn. Maybe Humanity is doomed, and we are at fault for ruining the whole world, but I refuse to believe we can't change and become a force of good.

"We have a chance to fix what we have done and achieve unity between humans and Pokemon. If I fail, then at least I tried instead of sitting back and watching the world turn to rumble. I will be the first act, the one that triggers all the others. I will find and protect the Chosen Hero. For now, I believe we need to agree to disagree. This line of conversation is going around in circles.

"I am more concerned with the Spearow's comment on the death of a legendary Pokemon. The stories I was told as a child said each Legendary controlled an aspect of life. Ho-Oh and Lugia protect the bond between Humans and Pokemon. Zaptos, Articuno, And Moltres, titans of their elements, keep the weather turning and moving. You are the origin of life itself, Mew. If those stories are true, then the loss of a Legendary Pokemon could trigger this deep corruption and hatred around us."

"Rai-Rai, I believe you need to rest in this ball thingie. You will feel better afterwards. Thank you for your strength, my friend. I will call you when we stop for dinner or are in need of your help." Nora walked over to the weak Pokemon and held the ball out.

"Yeah, sounds great. Thanks Nora. Save me a big piece of fruit if you can." Rai-Rai said with a small smile. He touched the dot, and turned into light. The light zoomed into the ball in Nora's hand, then shrunk to a tiny size. Nora put it with the other balls.

Charcoal didn't bothered to grace Archie's statement with a response for one simple reason. Humans had already been a huge issue back in The Days of the Clans. That much was obvious just from the fact that the four of them were currently in the present. Humanity's evils on the earth had begun long before the beginning of the Clans, and was supposedly at its worst during the time that Archie came from. Thus, with humanity being at its worst… the effects would naturally be expected to be evil Pokemon running rampant as well.

Besides, Archie was clearly was too young to understand. It wasn't that Pokemon had to LEARN how to be evil. It was more that humanity's influence upon the earth itself sent out vibes that affected the near-to-the-earth Pokemon spirits and torn them apart from the inside out. Nobody had to be cruel to them, had to train them to be evil… More, just as Ho-Oh had once said, "As long as their are evil humans, there will always be evil Pokemon."

Like a virus, those evil Pokemon were spreading the vibe into the souls of other Pokemon. Yes… Pokemon could be quite evil on their own due to this virus of corruption, but the source was evil humans. Thus why Ho-Oh wanted humans destroyed in the first place, in the hopes that by removing the source of the virus… it would somehow stop its spread throughout the Pokemon he was trying desperately to protect.

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The Spearow went by the codename Lame, a name he held with honor as it had been given to him by Vladmir himself the day that they had first met. He was now one of Vladmir's squadron leaders. As such, he knew exactly where he would need to go in order to reach Vladmir. So Lame flew off in that direction. As he did so, however, he couldn't resist one last look in the direction of Charcoal, Mew, and Rock Solid.

Lame couldn't even pretend to understand what was going on over there, or why such solid human-haters would be helping that Nora Miltank. Her words sounded sincere, yes, but he'd seen enough to know that one should never trust a human. Any pokemon alive for more than a few months knew that.

What really caught his attention was her choice of words, 'The Chosen Hero'. If she was the person spoken of in prophecy, the world was about to change drastically. Either humans would start being friendly to Pokemon, which almost seemed laughable, or humanity would be destroyed once and for all. Either way, Kanto was about to get very, very stormy.

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Mew laughed, though it was more of a depressing and ironic one. "What the heck happened to you screwed up humans anyways? At one point you worshipped us so strongly that you created stories in which we were gods. Me, creating life?" She chuckled darkly. "I can assure you I never actually created anything, especially humans. Look at how your race has perverted itself though… The being they contribute all existence to… they…" she shuddered and didn't finish the sentence. "Whatever your race may have been in the beginning, you can't save it now."


End file.
